


how do you know? (i just do)

by jakepurralta



Category: Brooklyn Nine-Nine (TV)
Genre: F/M, Family Fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-09-24
Updated: 2016-09-24
Packaged: 2018-08-17 03:26:15
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,630
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8128616
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/jakepurralta/pseuds/jakepurralta
Summary: Jake and Mrs. Santiago have an honest conversation.





	

**Author's Note:**

> i don't know what this is but here it is anyway

"How did you know that your husband was the one?" Jake finds himself asking one day when he's alone in the kitchen of the Santiago household, with Mrs. Santiago putting the final touches on the barbacoa that she'll be serving later.

The woman stops in her tracks and turns to look at him fully. He doesn't need to be a detective to know that she's trying to figure him out, what his exact intentions are asking her this question. It's actually not the first time Jake has been alone with Amy's mother, but it's only the third time since Amy had told her family that she's dating him, and sometimes Jake wonders if they need to get used to the thought of their only daughter settling down with a Jewish man. He's definitely no stranger to them, and Jake knows that he gets along with most of them wonderfully, but still...the thought nags.

After a beat (involving both parties trying to eye one another carefully), Mrs. Santiago flings her cloth over her shoulder and moves over to the dirty dishes. "We had been dating for about six months. There was nothing special, no grand gesture, I just woke up one day and I knew."

"Knew what?"

"I knew that there was no other person in my life that made me feel this way. Like Luis was the one man who I'd always felt at home with."

Home. The words seem to hang in the air and when a minute passes by without a verbal response from Jake, Maria put away one of her glass serving plates and turned her attention to him. "Is that how you feel with Amy?" There's a seriousness in her tone that would've intimidated Jake if it weren't for the fact that a small smile was tugging at the corners of her lips.

There's so much he wants to say to the woman who brought the person he loved most in the world to life, but the words get tangled up in his brain and because he doesn't want to make a fool out of himself and fumble, he just offers her a smile and says, "Yes."

Maria nods, seemingly content with the answer. "Well. Not long after my realization, Luis asked me if I wanted to marry him. He either had great timing or we were just in sync."

A moment passes and Jake, suddenly feeling very confident, playfully yanks the dish cloth from Maria's shoulder before she can protest or stop him (she'd insisted that he was a guest and she did not need his help just a few minutes before) and slips past her to get to the dish rack. Maria lets out a surprised yelp though it quickly turns into a giggle.

The commotion causes one of Amy's brothers, Rafael, to pop his head in the kitchen to inquire if Maria needs any help, but she promptly waves him off and it doesn't take him long to disappear again. After all, Jake helping his mother out with the chores gets him out of it.

"So. Be honest with me, Jacob." Maria starts, and Jake can't help but stiffen a little at her use of the formal version of his name.

_It's Biblical._ His mind screams, and it's like something inside him starts banging pots and pans together. Abort! Abort.

"Have you thought about a future with my daughter?"

_Oh._ His shoulders relax. This is the part where most men would be very likely to want to bolt right out the door. But even the fact that answering this question isn't extremely frightening to him doesn't seem to faze him. It's actually a topic he's surprisingly comfortable with. Okay, he's never discussed it out loud, so this will be the first time talking about it openly (and to Amy's _mother_ no less), but if his six month separation from Amy has taught him anything, it's that he has never loved so much and so hard and all he wanted to do was come home to her. Sometimes he'd think back to the time when all he had was work, and his home was just a bed he used to rest for work, and work was all he had. But now, the thought of 'home' means so much more to him.

It's coming back to someone who loves you just as much as you love them. Who makes you feel welcome. Just their mere presence makes you feel warm and safe and comforted. Like a never ending  _spoon_.

"Well...Amy probably told you that I was away for six months for work, right? During that time, I had a lot of time to think. And it all started with dreams I couldn't really stop. I missed her so much. I started to cave in to those dreams and I started to entertain the thought of, well, you know-“ Unsure of whether or not it's too soon to get Maria's hopes up, Jake awkwardly snaps his mouth shut, tries to laugh it off.

But Maria is not a fool and simply finishes his sentence for him. "-marrying Amy."

Upon her comment, Jake feels his cheeks flush furiously and is fully aware of it. It's embarrassing, really. "Well-" It comes out as a nervous squeak (like when Charles tries to lie) and he bends his head, intensely rubbing off the drops of water from the plate he's holding.

It takes him a while to register the fact that Maria is now trying to take it from him, calling out his name and mentioning something about the plate belonging to her mother and she doesn't want to see it shatter to the floor.

After ensuring that the plate is safe on the counter, she offers Jake a gentle smile and puts a hand on his arm. “I know you, Jake. You are a good man. And Amy, she loves you so much. I can see it in her eyes or when she talks about you. I know you'll do the right thing. I know that you'll find the right time."

Maria's voice is comforting. Jake nods his head with a grateful smile. He thinks to himself that Maria Santiago always makes him feel so welcome, like he can tell her anything. He doesn't know when it happened exactly, but she actually kind of feels like family.

On her part, Maria either has great timing or she's in sync with him. "Don't forget this, Jake. No matter when you ask Amy to marry you, you have been a part of this family for a long time already."

_NBD. NBD._ He tries to chant internally, as silly tears start to spring in his eyes though he tries to hold them in with every fiber of his being. This is the first time she's ever said that to him, though, so it  _is_ kind of a big deal.

Maria glances back at the clock, notes it's dinner time and smiles back at him. "Do you want to bring it?"

Her voice quickly yanks him back to reality, and he feels a bit of shame washing over him knowing that he was too preoccupied fighting back his tears to know what she's referring to right now.

Fortunately, she gestures at the door and repeats herself. "Bring it, Jake."

"Really? Um, okay!" He steps forward and envelops her into a hug, but he is quick to realize that that is not what she meant at all. He wants to let go and apologize profusely for misreading the situation so badly, but after a handful of seconds of adjusting herself, she's returning the hug and rubbing loving circles on his back.

It was enough to defuse the situation and when he pulls back, he sheepishly grins at her. "I thought you meant, 'bring it in'. Like a hug."

Maria shushes him with a laugh. "It's fine. Everybody needs a good hug every now and then. Now, bring the  _barbacoa_ to the dining room, please?"

-

By the time Jake walks into the dining room, Amy has already managed to drum up 80% of the Santiago clan and they all cheer in excitement upon seeing the food (or him, he's not sure). Some of Jake's brothers call out his name and pull back chairs, but Amy, despite the fact that she is physically the shortest of them all, quickly manages to inform them all that  _her boyfriend_ will be sitting next to her,  _thankyouverymuch_. Rafael boos. Another brother flings a napkin in her general direction. It's all in good fun, they tell their father.

"So, how'd you survive fifteen whole minutes alone with my mother?" Amy nudges his side after he's sat down next to her.

"Ah, you know. Nobody can deny the Peralta charm." He flashes her a toothy grin but the look she gives him prompts him to confess instantly. "I accidentally hugged your mom."

"You _accidentally_ hugged my mom?"

"I accidentally hugged your mom."  _And I realized that I want to marry the crap out of you._ He's extremely grateful when he manages to finish that sentence without that thought surreptitiously slipping out. "It was a really touching bonding moment. Things were said, emotions were felt. Ah, it's good to be human in this day and age." He dramatically gasps and looks over all the food that's spread out on the dinner table, with Maria and Luis still moving in and out the room to add more.

He knows that Amy is processing this information, most likely chalking it up to him being a weirdo again.

She can think of him whatever she wants. One day he's going to find the perfect time to ask her to marry him. For now, it's time to eat. And later? Later, he'll start planning.


End file.
